


Rewrite the Stars

by ashleyfanfic, justwanderingneverlost



Category: Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: A Dream of Spring, Abuse, All takes place North of the Wall, Blink and you'll miss it, Child Abuse, Daenerys is Rapunzel, Dany hatches dragons without a funeral pyre, Dany is trapped in a tower, F/M, Fantasy, Implied Sexual Abuse, Jon is a less jovial Flynn Ryder, Jonerys Week 2020, S2 Canon Divergent, Separation Anxiety, Show Viserys, Tangled Remix, Verbal Abuse, Viserys is an asshole, Viserys is going mad, Vivid dreams about dragons and Jon, dragons do not like Viserys, dragons love their mama, it's mostly Viserys looking at her in a not nice way, you'll see what we mean
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-31
Updated: 2020-08-03
Packaged: 2021-03-06 07:02:29
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 14,163
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25629403
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ashleyfanfic/pseuds/ashleyfanfic, https://archiveofourown.org/users/justwanderingneverlost/pseuds/justwanderingneverlost
Summary: Westeros take on Rapunzel. Instead of going to Essos, where they could be hunted all their lives, Ser Derry takes Viserys and Daenerys North of the Wall and hides them away from the world. As Viserys slips into madness, his hold on Daenerys grows tighter. Little does he know that his sister will take the opportunity to leave, if only she had some help.
Relationships: Jon Snow/Daenerys Targaryen
Comments: 76
Kudos: 165





	1. North

**Author's Note:**

> We're back! Yes, this is another multi-chaptered fic brought to you by my best friend, Justwanderingneverlost, and me. This has been on my mind for years. 
> 
> The title comes from the song "Rewrite the Stars" from the Greatest Show cause the lyrics kind of fit in with this story. This chapter has hints of Jon in it, but he hasn't shown up yet. Believe me, when it does, it spirals some events into motion. 
> 
> I loved writing this chapter, and I think JW liked it too. She never said she didn't! She's the best, you guys. Truly the best. 
> 
> Love all of you and thank you for playing along!
> 
> The title of this chapter comes from the song _North_ by Sleeping At Last

__

_We'll tell our stories on these walls.  
_ _Every year, measure how tall  
_ _And just like a work of art  
_ _We'll tell our stories on these walls_

_North_ _  
_ **Sleeping at Last**

  
  


She was scared. It was hard to breathe and her chest hurt. And no matter how hard she tried she couldn't stop crying. It made her throat and nose burn. 

Ser Willem was dying, Viserys told her. That meant he was leaving and he would never come back. Like their mother and father had done. Like Rhaegar. She was sad they had died, but she didn't miss them like Viserys did. But she would miss Ser Willem. She didn't want him to die. He loved her best, was safe and warm, smiled and laughed with her, told the best stories. She had begged him to stay, for Vis to stop him, but they told her there was nothing to do. Not even her magic hair could save him. They’d already tried. She had sang and sang, but he didn't get better. 

Dany held his big wrinkled hand, heavy and soft as old leather between hers as he coughed, his whole face growing purple from the strain. Even her brother appeared afraid, his violet eyes wide, his chin trembling as she looked back at him over her shoulder. His fear sent hers spinning through her like a top with spikes, it made her heart quiver in her chest all the worse. She swiped at the tears running down her face and squeezed Ser Darry’s hand a bit tighter.

He pulled loose from her hold and reached up, brushed his cold shaking fingers over her wet cheek as his fading eyes stared at her brother. “Look after her. The world will... seek to destroy you,” he said breathlessly. “You’re the man of the family, now. It’s up to you, to protect her.” He began coughing again and she tucked the blanket up closer to his chin. He needed to be warm.

“I will,” Viserys promised quietly behind her.

Ser Darry’s eyes met hers again before fluttering closed. “My time has come, children. The stranger is here to greet me,” he whispered, and coughed then everything went suddenly silent and still. 

“Viserys?” Her voice came out high and shaky. She didn't need her brother to answer, Ser Willem was dead, she knew. She took his hand in hers again and cried, so hard she barely saw her brother take the blanket and pull it over Ser Willem’s face. 

She was suddenly scooped into Viserys’ arms and carried from the room. He sat on the edge of her bed with her and held her as she sobbed, rocked her as he rubbed a hand over her hair. 

“It’s alright, Dany. I’ll take care of you.”

“Who’s… gonna… take care of… you?” she sniffled and shook.

He sighed against the top of her head. “I suppose you’ll have to.” He cleared his throat, sniffed and sighed again. “We’ve survived thus far. We’ll keep doing so. As long as we’re together.”

She took a great shuddering breath. “I’m so scared, Vis. And sad. It hurts my heart.”

“I know.” His long slender fingers brushed through her hair. “Why don’t you take your dragon eggs and get into bed?” he suggested softly. “I’ll call you if I need something.”

“What are you gonna do?” she whispered as she played with the toggle on the front of his shirt.

“I’m... going to move Ser Darry outside. I’d say we should bury him, but the ground is frozen solid,” he muttered.

“You said Targaryen’s burn their dead. He’s ours, Vis.”

He placed a soft kiss upon her head. “Yes, he is. Go on. To bed.”

“I can help.”

“You’ll be more help bundled up in here where I know you're safe.” He blew out a breath. “Go on,” he ushered and she crawled from his lap and gathered her three dragon eggs and tucked them under the edge of the blanket with her. 

When Viserys left, she ran her fingers over her eggs, tracing the ridges of each one as hot tears slid down her face. She’d never been so sad. She tried to tell herself everything would be alright. Viserys was there. He would protect her. He promised he would. She pulled the blanket tighter and squeezed her eyes closed and tried to let sleep take her.

_She was in a dense forest, she knew because she could smell the trees, and the sunlight was trapped behind their thick branches covered in furry needles. Someone was laughing as they ran around her in wide circles. She wanted to laugh and play with them too, but she had lost something and they had it. “Give it back,” she called._

_“It’s mine,” the voice teased._

_“No! It’s mine,” she cried as she ran after the voice. “They’re precious to me!”_

_“This one is mine! It sings to me!”_

_She caught a glimpse of dark hair and pale skin and darted towards them. A rough woolen tunic met her reaching fingers, she grabbed and pulled, tackled them to the ground, the air knocked from her lungs._

She startled awake and reached out for her eggs. They still lay there beside her, unchanged. Safe. She cuddled up to them again, feeling their warmth, hearing their soft songs.

Viserys said they were dead, nothing more than stone. But she knew better. She could feel the life inside them. They called to her, sang to her, a sweet song only she could hear. She rested her head against the pillow again, gathering them closer to her. “One day you’ll hatch and we can go home,” she whispered. Wherever that was. 

  
  


*~*

  
  


She sat within the open window, watching the snow as it fell, peaceful and soft, each flake a tiny whisper floating down. Sometimes she pretended they told her secrets and stories from far off places. She held her hand out and caught a few but of course they melted the moment they touched her skin just as they always did. The only time she ever got a chance to see their delicate shapes was if they landed on the vines that clung and crawled up the tower. If she was careful and didn't get too close she could tell them secrets of her own. She had no one else to tell them to.

Viserys had been gone for two days and she was beginning to run low on the little meat she had left. She hoped he returned soon. He was grumpy more often than not, but at least she wasn't so alone when he was there. He’d promised he would come back with enough food to feed them for a while, to ride out a storm he’d heard was coming. Who he heard it from she didn't know. But it was beginning to get dark again and she was growing more worried for him. 

The fire popped and crackled behind her and she turned and slowly approached the flames. She sat down on the rug in front of the hearth and stared at her precious eggs nestled amongst the burning cinders. Viserys hated it when she put them in the flames, claiming she was going to ruin them and make them lose their value. But Dany knew they couldn’t be hurt, and told him so. _Fire can not kill a dragon._

He’d pushed her away from the hearth that day and pulled them out with the large tongs, leaving them to roll and rumble across the floor, their scaly prints seared into wood planks behind them. When she asked why he didn’t use his hands it was the first time he’d ever insulted her. _Stupid girl, it would burn my skin._ She didn’t know why he thought her stupid. She put them in and out of the flames all the time and they never burned her. 

As she stared into the flickering fire her hands had gone to her hair, running through the smooth strands, fingers twisting them into braids. There were times she would get lost in the flames, certain she could see things. But they never lasted and she was left having to convince herself that it wasn’t true. 

When she reached the end of her hair, near to dragging the floor by then, she snapped out of the trance the flames had cast. Dropping that braid she began on a second on the other side as she hummed to herself. The calming warmth she was becoming more familiar with spread through her and she opened her eyes to see her white hair glowing like the moon in her hands. It was starting to happen more often and when she hummed or sang, it would grow just a little bit longer. 

Viserys said she had a rare Targaryen gift only a few in their family had ever been blessed with. The healing light of the moon. Some believed dragons had come from the moon, that it had drawn too close to the sun and cracked apart and a thousand thousand dragons had poured forth and drank the flames of the sun for their own, and some, just a few, had the magic of both the sun and the moon. Dany wasn't so certain she had either. She hadn't been able to save Ser Darry, nor her mother. _How special and magic could she be?_

The door at the base of the tower opened and snapped her from her thoughts. She quickly grabbed the eggs from the hearth, put them in the trunk and carried it into her room. Viserys was there as she came out. He looked every bit his age of twenty. No longer the boy who used to read her stories or comfort her after Ser Darry died. She gave him a smile as she moved to help him remove his heavy furs and hang them beside the fire to dry. 

He huffed out an irritated breath. “Dany, you left the window open again,” he said coldly as his only greeting. She rushed from him and closed it, including the shudders.

“Sorry, brother. I was watching for you,” she said softly. 

He plopped a bag on the table. “Seven rabbits, this time,” he declared. “Even managed to get some root vegetables from that house I told you about. They have some kind of glass house where they grow things...”

“How clever! Because glass would keep it warm. Let the sun soak in and stay.”

Viserys nodded. “Yes. Skin the rabbits and start dinner. I’m starving.” He stopped suddenly and looked at her, his face pinched. “Is something burning?”

Her heart stuttered. “The fire?” she tried and did her best to appear confused. 

“No, it’s a different smell,” he murmured as he left her and walked into her bedroom. She hurried after him. “Dany!”

She knew immediately what it his shout meant and rushed to the trunk that held the eggs, Viserys doing the same. She’d put them in while they were too hot. Smoke was leaking out of the sides, but thankfully no flames. Viserys flung the lid up and hacked and coughed as the cloud of smoke billowed out, but still reached for one of the eggs, immediately dropping it. Dany was quick to catch it and settle it back down but Viserys was screaming, and rushed from the room and down the stairs. She followed behind him and watched as he shoved his hands into the snow. 

“Dany! Do this before your hands are scarred!” he ordered.

She shook her head. “I’m not burned,” she told him and held them up to him. He glared at her and stood. A sudden fear gripped her as he reached for her, his grip on her arm so tight she cried out in pain. He stared at her hand, then turned wide eyes on her, they were bright with his fury. “Viserys, you’re hurting me,” she whimpered.

He pushed her back into the tower and she nearly fell over the bottom step. “Go!” he roared and shoved her again. 

She ran up the steps and backed away from him. She’d never seen him so angry. The wild look in his eyes had panic gripping her heart. “I can heal it, remember!”

He stormed across the room and backhanded her so hard she hit the floor with a cry. Her face throbbing, she looked up at him to see a look of horror on his own. He stepped back from her, shaking his head, tears welling in his eyes. “I’m sorry. I’m-I’m sorry, Dany.” Tears rolled down his cheeks just as they rolled down hers and she felt just as afraid as when Ser Darry had died. If Viserys hated her, then all hope was lost. He was suddenly kneeling in front of her shaking all over, not just his head. “I’m sorry,” he whispered, “I'm sorry.”

She could see that he was. This was all too much for him. She knew it. She was a burden to him. “I-I know,” she finally answered and sat up. He gently brushed his fingers over her cheek and she flinched at the pain, unable to stop herself. His head began to thrash side to side as he sobbed. She had to fix it, make him better. “It’s alright, Vis. I know,” she whispered as she gathered up her hair and wrapped it around his trembling hands. She began humming and the room was filled with the white light of her moonglow hair once more. He visibly sagged in relief as the burns left his skin. 

When she finished, she pulled her hair away and he reached out and traced a finger over her cheek again. The pain was gone, but a weariness lingered around her heart where Viserys was concerned. He’d never hit her before. He’d yelled at her, loomed over her, but had never put his hands on her. She’d have to be more careful. “I’m sorry, sister,” he whispered.

“I know. I’ll make dinner,” she said softly and brushed his hand away as she stood.

She went about skinning the rabbits, doing her best to act as if nothing had happened. Maybe if she did he would too. She was on the third rabbit when Viserys spoke again, his voice more even and controlled. “Don’t do that again.”

“Do what?” The words slipped out before she thought. She bit her lip and kept her eyes on her task.

“Put them in the hearth. I told you, they’re dead. If you ruin them, and we need to sell them one day, you’ll wish you hadn’t.”

Her heart simply stopped. She turned and stared at him, terrified. “Sell them?” she whispered. “Why… Why would you sell them?”

“Food is a hard commodity to come by in this frozen wasteland.” His violet eyes grew dark and narrowed as they held hers. “Desperation could make us do a lot of things we normally wouldn’t consider,” he said, his voice gone low. He cleared his throat and looked away, examining his healed palms. “Promise me, Dany.”

She turned back to the rabbits and gave a shaky nod. “I promise.”

That night, she dreamed again. The same she had the night Ser Darry had died.

“ _Come back here! That’s mine!”_

_“You can’t own a dragon!”_

_“I don’t own him but he’s still mine!”_

_“Nope! This one is mine! He sings to me!”_

_“You’re lying!” she shrieked._

_“He told me one day I would ride him!” the voice countered. “That I would conquer land with him!”_

_“He’s just an egg,” she shouted back at the head of black curls, all she could see in the gloom._

_Suddenly she was faced with a set of large golden eyes, opening in the darkness. She froze, the air leaving her as she watched them rise up with the trees. A long, graceful neck, shiny scales, and… wings. It was a dragon. A beautiful green dragon. He huffed, and a cloud of smoke swallowed her face. She coughed then held her breath as she stared up at him, fascinated and frightened all at once. The beast opened his mouth again and she expected to be burnt alive, or roared at if nothing else, but only a tiny squawk filled the air._

She startled awake and came face to face with a little black head with bright red eyes. Something moved over her hand, sharp and scaly. She jerked away with a gasping squeak and there sat a little golden dragon. The black one crawled to her lap and Dany sat up, staring at them sure she was still dreaming. Her eyes darted to the wooden box her eggs had been in and while they were still there, all three had broken into pieces. Hatched.

Could they possibly be real? She reached out a finger to the black and his tiny head pressed into her touch, his red eyes falling closed. He certainly felt real beneath her touch. “There’s supposed to be three of you. What have you done with your brother or sister?” she whispered, as the gold joined the black in her lap.

A small squawk sounded behind her and she turned to see the green dragon from her dream appear, climbing up her bedpost behind her. He was much smaller than in her dream. She took him into her hand and he seemed pleased to be there, wiggling about happily. “You are real,” she whispered and reached for the black one who immediately nuzzled against her face, the gold her belly. She couldn’t help but laugh. Her dreams had come true. Her dragons were here!

The door swung open and Viserys was standing there with his sword, looking at her in shock. The metal clanged to the ground and all three dragons turned and hissed at him. 

“How?” he said softly, awe filling his face.

“I don’t know,” she answered. “I woke up and they were here,” she said as the black dragon clawed up onto her shoulder. She smiled at him, too happy to be concerned with her brother.

Slowly approaching her, Visery reached out a trembling hand towards the golden dragon, but it snapped at him with a hiss. Dany gently tapped his back and gave him a frown. “Now, be nice,” she said softly. “That’s my brother.”

Viserys sat on the edge of the bed and looked up at Daenerys, still in shock she thought, his eyes wide and overly bright. “Do you know what this means?”

“We have to figure out how to feed three dragons?”

He rolled his eyes. “It means, sister, that when they get bigger, we can ride them into battle and take back our home.”

"Oh," she said sadly. "You're going to use them as weapons."

"Against our enemies, Dany. The ones who took our home, who took our parents and brother from us. The ones who sent us up here to live in this godsforsaken country. We don't belong here. We belong where it's warm, where people wait on us and drink toasts to our health. They don't even know we're alive up here."

"But that's good, though. They would kill us if they knew where we were. That's what you’ve always told me,” she reminded.

"Indeed. But now, with them, we could take all of it back. We could reclaim what was ours and destroy them all,” he declared, though to Dany it sounded like more of a threat, and something he was very eager to do. “Take back our home,” he finished with a whisper, staring off at nothing across the room.

Dany didn't care for how he was acting at all. It had her tummy twisting into knots. "And protect the people,” she said in hopes of steering him back to level ground.

He waved a hand at her. "Yes, that too."

She nodded though she still felt the unpleasant stirring in her belly. "Then the first part of what I said is important, too. We have to be able to feed them, otherwise they won't grow big enough for us to do anything."

He sighed. "I suppose that is true." He reached out to pet one again, the green, and the dragon snapped at him while the other two squawked angrily. Vis shot to his feet, fury in his eyes. "Get them under control. They're your responsibility," he snapped.

"Alright. I'll just take them into the other room and feed them."

"Yes. But, not too much. We need food for us, too."

"You could go hunting again," she dared to say.

He glared at her. "Yes, that's exactly what I want to do."

She knew she shouldn't push him, but he had to see reason, be logical. "Viserys, it might be the only option we have. I mean, we have to be able to feed them and us.”

"Fine. We'll take a look at our stores in the morning and I'll decide if I need to go then,” he all but pouted.

It was good enough for her, a step in the right direction at any rate. She nodded and stood from the bed. The black curled on her shoulder, the green on her other, and the gold perched in her arms. Viserys followed her out of her room and leaned against the doorframe. She could feel his eyes on her and glanced over at him. "What is it?"

"You've grown so much,” he said softly. Too softly. “You're not the little girl that cried in my arms when Ser Darry died."

She forced a smile for him. "No. I'm not. I suppose we all get older."

Something altogether new was in her brother's eyes. She didn't like it. The unpleasantness in her belly rose up through her chest and into her throat and she turned away from him. "One day, sister, when we take this kingdom back for ourselves, we'll marry and continue on our family."

All the dragons suddenly looked at her as she knew she’d tensed and they had felt it. She finished filling the pot with water and turned back to look at her brother, a cheery smile on her face though she felt her heart breaking. She didn't think she could ever look upon Viserys as a man she wanted to marry, to have children with. At least not if the descriptions in her books were anything to go by. She wanted more than a relationship out of family obligation. 

"Of course. One day," she said softly as she placed the pot over the fire and threw a few more logs into the hearth.

He walked up the stairs and to his room. "Good night, Dany."

"Good night, Vis. I'll try to be quiet."

He didn't say anything else and his door clicked closed. She looked at the little dragons, hoping they had some answers about what to do with her brother. But they remained silent as she climbed from the floor and went to get one of the rabbits hanging from the window. It wasn't quite frozen, hopefully she would still be able to cut it into chunks.

At the table she let them all climb down. They scurried to the other side and turned to watch her, their eyes focused on the rabbit, their little mouths opening and closing. _So hungry._ As she cut the meat into pieces for them she studied the little green dragon. She thought back to her dream, of chasing the person through the woods, the one who claimed the dragon was theirs. Was it Viserys? Was that who she was dreaming of? No, the hair was all wrong, black instead of white. Nor did they sound like him. It wasn't his voice. It was a male, though. She knew that. But his face was always cloaked in the shadows of the trees, then the shadow of the dragon.

She leaned down to the little green dragon and smiled. "What secrets do you hold, little one?"

*~*

Over a moon had passed since the dragons hatched and she had been desperately trying to get them to produce fire. She knew that once they did they would be able to feed themselves. It would be a relief, really. And there would be much joy. For her babies were growing up. She had named them, in silence, not telling Viserys as he only called them by their colors, saying _he_ would need to decide on names for them. He was adamant the dragons would be used as weapons and he didn't care for how attached she’d grown to them. 

But Dany didn't care. She loved them. The black she called Balerion. It seemed only fitting. The Winged Shadow. The Black Dread. She knew one day he would be just as large and fierce. The green one she named after her brother Rhaegar. She thought Viserys might like that if she actually told him. He always spoke kindly of their lost brother. And the cream she named Visenya. She knew he would hate that one. Whenever she spoke of the female dragon riders in their family, he would steer her toward the males or always bring it back to Aegon the Conqueror. But she remembered the stories. Aegon had depended on his sisters. Together the three of them were able to conquer the kingdoms. It was not done by one man alone.

But whenever they would speak of Aegon and his sisters, Viserys would give her a look that made her skin crawl. She couldn't put words to it. She simply knew he was making her increasingly uncomfortable. That look was usually followed by him leaving the room and coming back complaining of how tired he was. She was ever alert around him, noticing every move and word and how it was said. It was easy enough; her days were only filled with taking care of the dragons and serving him. He was changing, his moods, his habits. 

His temper was still as short as ever. She did all she could to not provoke him. Watched her words, careful to always agree, to keep herself and the dragons quiet. It seemed to work. He hadn't hit her again. He hadn't even touched her. He made a point to keep his distance, she thought, only staring, his eyes always heavy on her. Perhaps he meant to make her more comfortable, but the reality was she felt anything but. She wished he'd go hunting again. Leave her alone. She was beginning to crave the times he disappeared for days. It was so peaceful when he was gone. She didn't feel as if someone was watching her every move. She could breathe, sing to her dragons, dance for them and herself. Read her books. Live.

When he was home her only peace was when he slept or she took the dragons outside. As she was now. She kept them close, barely venturing from the base of the tower, letting them run around for a bit. She was bundled up in her coat of rabbit skins, though the cold rarely bothered her. Watching her little dragons hop around, flapping and squawking at one another kept her warm with laughter. Thankfully Viserys was inside the tower, opting to take a bath. 

She held up a piece of meat to Balerion, smiling as he tilted his head and looked at her in curiosity. "Dracarys,” she said. She'd been trying to teach it to them since their first night. Balerion unfortunately didn't do a thing, just looked at the piece of meat and then back up at her. She heaved a sigh and frowned. "Well, it was worth a try." She turned to Rhaegal and smiled. "Rhaegal," she called and the green dragon ran over to her and nudged Balerion away with his head. The black squawked and snapped at him, but Rhaegal ignored him, too eager for Dany's attention to care. Balerion pranced over to Visenya and they tussled for a minute before Berion bit her tail and she ran over to Dany for pets.

Balerion found a stick and began chewing on it, making little growling noises as he did so. She rolled her eyes at him and turned back to Rhaegal. "Here, you try," she said. " _Dracarys_ ." He pulled his little head back, his chest puffing up as he opened his mouth. Only a plume of smoke came out, just as it had in her dream. Still, she was hopeful. That was better than he had done the day before. " _Dracarys,_ " she encouraged him to try again.

"Any luck?"

All three dragons let out hisses at Viserys’ interruption. She sat back on her heels and shook her head. "No. They're getting closer though."

He huffed out a breath. "The sooner they learn to breathe fire and fly the sooner we’ll be able to take our home back."

"I know. They're trying, truly." She realized then he had his pack and sword strapped to his side. "Are you leaving?" she asked, trying not to sound hopeful at all.

He nodded. "We need more food. I'm going to try to get into that hot house again. They may only eat meat, but you and I can eat other things. I have a few rabbit traps out I’ll check too. I should only be gone a few days."

She nodded and gave a small smile. "Good luck. Be safe," she said softly.

He stepped forward and lifted her chin, stared at her far too long with his darkened eyes. "I will. You stay inside. Don't know where the Wildlings are, they would... well, it's best you not know what they would do, little sister. Ruffians and thugs. Murderers, the lot of them."

"I'll stay inside I swear."

His thumb grazed her jaw as he smiled. "Good girl."

She held her breath and closed her eyes as he leaned in, unable to hold his gaze a moment longer without tearing herself away and running. Viserys placed a lingering kiss on her brow and finally let her go. He walked off and she waited until she could no longer see him anymore before she released a great breath, her head spinning and knees weak with relief. 

Tugging and pulling on her skirts brought her eyes down to all three dragons at her feet, staring up at her expectantly, trying to climb her. She shook away her nerves and bent over to collect them. "Alright, you heard him. Inside we go."

She shut the door behind them and carried them up the stairs. Once inside, she put them all down and watched as they scrambled across the floor and crawled into the hearth, settling amongst the coals to warm themselves. They didn't like the cold. She imagined if and when they did go south, they would be much happier for it. Truthfully, she dreaded it. 

She looked around her tower, her heart sinking to her toes. "This is my home," she whispered. The only one she'd ever known. She couldn't imagine living anywhere else. 

Balerion squawked at her. She startled, but smiled and collected the little pieces of meat she had taken outside and put them on her knitting needle. Joining them at the fire she held it over the flames before feeding each dragon several pieces. Their tummies full, she stood and went about cooking something for herself.

*~*

She was startled awake by the squawks of her dragons and a hand grabbing her suddenly. She sat up with a shriek and found a sweaty Viserys kneeling beside her bed. She gasped and went to the floor and then she saw it, a horrible wound in his gut, blood welling up between his fingers. "Viserys!" As quickly as she could she gathered up her hair and placed it over his wound and held him to her as she hummed through the tears sliding down her face.

He was limp in her arms, his breathing shallow. 

As much as he frightened her sometimes he was all she had and she worried, for the first time, if it was a wound she wouldn't be able to heal. She closed her eyes and rocked him, never slowing her humming and he suddenly took a deep breath and looked up at her, seemingly coming to his senses. "Dany?” he said weakly.

She checked his wound, so relieved to see the blood no longer pouring free. "What happened?"

"The hot house," he answered. "The man caught me in it. I dropped the bag with our... all our food." He sat up and put his head in his hands, shaking it as he let out an odd noise that had her hair standing on end.

"It's alright."

He suddenly turned on her, his eyes wide and wild. "It's not alright! I was bleeding all the way here. If he follows that blood trail, we're fucked!" She moved back from him and watched as he stood and paced. "We have to leave."

"No! We can't! We don't know where else to go. And what are we to do with the dragons? They won't even let you touch them!"

He was bearing down on her then when he suddenly yelped and kicked at little Rhaegal who had lashed out at him. Balerion, on the bed behind her, let out a ball of flame with a hissing growl. They both stared at the dragon, shocked as the other two followed suit, putting themselves between Dany and Viserys, hissing and snapping, spurts of fire aimed his way.

"Call them off," he whispered, appearing frightened for the first time in an age.

She reached for them, whispering soothing words, trying to get them to stop, but they wouldn't listen to her. They backed Viserys up until he relented and stepped over the threshold of her doorway. He turned hate filled eyes her way. "You'll pay for this!"

Panic spread through her. "Vis, please! I didn't do anything."

"They won't let me near them!” he shouted and flung his hands at them. “Look at them! They're standing between us. Ready to hurt me! You can't keep them. They're too dangerous for us to have."

Her heart sank. "Viserys. What about taking back our home?"

"We'll find a different way."

"But they're babies..." she cried. "Please don't do this. Please!”

“They’re gone by tomorrow or I’ll leave you here alone. Forever.”

She felt her resolve crack. Viserys was the only family she had. She’d never had to truly survive on her own. She reached for Balerion and lifted him into her arms as tears rolled down her face. She looked back at her brother and nodded. “Alright,” she said softly. “I-I’ll do it.”

He stormed away from her, and she waited until she heard his door shut. She took the dragons back into her room, each of them crawling onto her bed and curling up with her even as she cried. She tried not to do it too loud. She didn’t want the wrath of her brother even more.

She rested her head against Rhaegal as Balerion curled up on her hip, Visenya against her chest and drifted into a fitful sleep. 

*~*

The following morning, she took the dragons outside, buried beneath her fur coat and they happily played in the snow once she sat them down. She felt as if she was going to begin weeping again, but she couldn’t. She knelt down into the snow and each one came to her, practically prancing around, no doubt believing it was just another romp in the snow and she'd be taking them back inside soon. Balerion climbed into her arms and she snuggled him. She didn’t want to let them go. She had thought of every way she could possibly keep them, but Viserys would leave her if she did. She couldn’t let him. She couldn’t. She wouldn't survive on her own. She wouldn't know how to feed herself, let alone all four of them.

She finally set Balerion on the ground and pushed him away, even as his little head tilted at her, his red eyes glowing. “Please don’t make this harder. You have to go,” she whispered.

They all three looked at her, each tilting their heads. She reached out to give them all a final stroke and stood. Swallowing down her tears she turned and walked back into the tower. The crunching of snow and familiar squawks told her they were following her. She turned back and shook her head. “No. You can’t,” she said as she shooed them away. They only backed up a few steps before Visenya let out a cry and Balerion rushed towards her. “No. You have to go,” she said and pushed them away. “Stay together and take care of each other. I love you, but you can’t come with me,” she cried.

She rushed into the tower and shut the door. Soon enough she heard them bumping into the door, squawking at her from the other side. She slid to the floor and put her head in her hands, sobbing, silently begging them to leave. She didn’t know how long she stayed there, crying on the ground until the thumping and screeching stopped. When it did, her heart ached and she felt more alone than she ever had. 

With slow steps she made her way upstairs and back into the living quarters of the tower. Viserys still hadn’t emerged from his room. She glared at the door, feeling something dark building within her at her brother. She wanted to hurt him as he’d hurt her. She wanted it to make him physically weak, but she didn’t have that power. She went to the window and saw the dragons rushing through the hedges and closed it. She couldn’t allow herself to think about them. It was over and done with. Removing her fur coat, she sat in front of the fire and hummed to herself, twisting her hair around her finger. She began braiding it and realized at the end that it had grown past her feet as she sat there. 

She hummed a bit more, watching as it glowed in her hands. 

*~*

Months later, she was gathering pieces of wood from the forest that surrounded them. A rustling in the bushes around her caused a sudden burst of panic. She wondered if she could get back to the tower before whatever it was attacked her. She stood very still and suddenly a scaly black head peeked out from the leaves. She dropped the wood as her mouth fell open.

Balerion had grown larger, already bigger than the rabbits and rare fox that Viserys brought for them to eat. He looked her up and down, and came from his shelter. He tittered and the other two came out of their hiding places and circled her feet. She sank to her knees, petting each one, letting silent tears run down her cheeks. Rhaegal climbed into her arms, but knocked her to her backside he was so big. “Look how you’ve grown,” she giggled. 

Visenya rubbed her head against her cheek. But Balerion, she could feel, was weary of her. She held out her hand to him and he twisted away from her. She reached a little further, her voice breaking. “Please?”

He turned his red eyes back to her and reluctantly allowed her to pet him. She let out a pleased sob and moved closer to let him come into her arms, which he finally did. She rested her head against his, feeling his acceptance, his happiness. She’d missed them all so much. “You look as if you’ve been eating well,” she said as she stroked each one of them, taking their cuddles and comfort, giving back all she could. 

“Dany?” Viserys called and she looked at the dragons, panicked as her brother came into the clearing.

She hurried to her feet and then over to him. “Vis,” she started but was cut off as Balerion squawked at him and let out a small plume of fire. 

“I told you to get rid of them,” he said angrily.

“I did. I let them go, just like you said!” she rushed to explain. “They found me out here.”

He grabbed her by the arm and she cried out, but all three dragons expanded their wings, standing up to their full height and stalking towards them, their eyes all trained on her brother. She looked between them nervously. “Viserys, let me go,” she whispered. 

He did and the dragons lowered themselves, seeming to calm. “Get back to the tower. Now,” he hissed.

“You go first,” she told him softly. 

He edged around her and rushed back to the tower. She dropped to her knees and the dragons came back to her. She shook her head at them. “You shouldn’t have done that,” she whispered. “You have to go,” her voice broke even as she gave them one last stroke a piece. “I’ve missed you so, but I can’t lose my brother,” she whispered. 

She stood and collected the wood and left her little dragons without looking back. She made it into the tower to find Viserys pacing back and forth. When she entered the room fully, she dumped the wood onto the pile. 

“Have you been keeping them out there this whole time?” he demanded.

She turned to look at him and shook her head. “No. They scared me today.”

“Yes, well, they won’t do it again. You’re not to leave the tower.”

She turned to look at him. “What?”

“I won’t have them sneak up on me because they think they’re protecting you. If you stay in here we don’t have a problem.”

“You can’t keep me locked up in here!”

“I can do whatever I want!” he roared as he bore down on her and she did her best not to wilt away from him. “You will not leave this tower!”

She glared at him. “You can’t keep me prisoner here.”

He took a step forward and she backed up, actually afraid he might really hurt her from the look on his face. Never had she seen such hate. “I can. And I will.”

  
  
  
  



	2. I'll Keep You Safe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jon Snow was separated from his search party, stumbled upon a tower and it's well hidden secret. Daenerys makes a difficult decision after her brother presents a no-win situation to her. And Viserys slips further into madness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The gorgeous mood board was made by justwanderingneverlost who never ceases to amaze me by the beautiful boards she makes. I mean, seriously. She's killing it.
> 
> We hope you like this chapter. This story is really fun to write! And like always, I couldn't have done it without JW. She's my best friend, my rock, and I feel like she keeps me sane most days. If not for her, I know I would be more of a rage monster than I already am. Thank you for reading.

_I’ll keep you safe_   
_Try hard to concentrate_   
_Hold out your hand_   
_Can you feel the weight of it_   
_The whole world at your fingertips_   
_Don’t be, don’t be afraid_   
_Our mistakes they were bound to be made_   
_But I promise you I’ll keep you safe_   
  
_You’ll be an architect so pull up your sleeves_   
_And build a new silhouette_   
_In the skylines up ahead_   
_Don’t be, don’t be afraid_   
_Our mistakes they were bound to be made_   
_But I promise you I’ll keep you safe_   
_I’ll keep you safe_   
  
_Darkness will be rewritten_   
_Into a work of fiction, you’ll see_   
_As you pull on every ribbon_   
_You’ll find every secret it keeps_   
_The sound of the branches breaking under your feet_   
_The smell of the falling and burning leaves_   
_The bitterness of winter_   
_Or the sweetness of spring_   
_You are an artist_   
_And your heart is your masterpiece_   
_And I’ll keep it safe_   
  
_Dismiss the invisible_   
_By giving it shape_   
_Like a clockmaker fixes time_   
_By keeping the gears in line_   
_Don’t be, don’t be afraid_   
_God knows that mistakes will be made_   
_But I promise you I’ll keep you safe_   
  
_As you build up your collection_   
_Of pearls that you pulled from the deep_   
_A landscape more beautiful than anything that I’ve ever seen_   
_The sound of the branches breaking under your feet_   
_The smell of the falling and burning leaves_   
_The bitterness of winter_   
_Or the sweetness of spring_   
_You are an artist_   
_And your heart is your masterpiece_   
_And I’ll keep it safe  
  
I'll Keep You Safe  
_ **Sleeping At Last**

**  
  
  
**

How he managed to get separated from the rest of his group, he would never know. He could blame Ghost for running off, but it was his own fucking fault for following after him. He knew damn well his wolf would find him when he wanted.  _ Gods _ , the seven hells worth of shit he would catch if he ever found his brothers again… It almost made him not want to. 

Joining the Night’s Watch had been more of a curse than the blessing he had hoped to find. He was still alive, but so many bad things had befallen his family since they’d all parted ways. He hated he hadn’t been there to fight beside Robb, to save him so they could avenge their father, to help protect their little brothers, to even be a source of safety they or their sisters could run to. As it was, with him gone beyond the Wall to look for Uncle Benjen and his ranging party, even if any of his family ran to him, he wasn't there. 

He continued to trudge through the snow. He needed to find shelter for the night. It would get even colder then and his chance of surviving out in the open was slim. If the Wildings didn't find him first. He glanced over his shoulder, just the thought of them sending a trickle of dread down his spine. There was nothing there, nothing but snow and rock and his own footprints. Hopefully the falling snow would fill in his tracks sufficiently.

The sudden and fleeting whirl of an arrow flying past his head nearly scared the piss out of him. His heart pounding against his chest he took off, running as fast as he could through the thick snow. Even over his own heavy breathing and the rushing blood in his ears he could hear people running behind him, the constant beat of crunching snow unmistakable.

The Wildlings he’d been running from had caught his trail. 

Inwardly cursing his stupidity once more, he ran for a copse of trees not far ahead of him, praying to the old gods he could make it. Maybe his black furs and cloak would help him disappear among the trees and up the side of a mountain that lay beyond them. The craggy hills would make it more difficult for them to track his footprints he hoped. The snow was thin and sparse there. 

He didn't dare look back to see how many were after him, kept his focus on his footing and searching for a place to get himself hidden. A tree or boulder wide enough to hide himself behind, or maybe climb. He didn't have to wait long. The gods were with him; just moments after he began climbing the mountain he spotted a dark opening within the rock face some fifty feet ahead. A cave! With a burst of energy and strength he scrambled up the stone scattered slope and slipped into his hiding place.

It was a struggle to control his breathing, to not gasp and heave to catch his breath, but somehow he managed to be quiet about it, body frozen and pressed as flat as possible against the rock wall. For once he didn't bother to brush his wild curls from his face, he only looked through them and out the narrow opening, wanting them to hide his pale face from anyone who might peer into the cave. He waited for what felt like a lifetime for them to run past, and still he heard no one come close. For some reason that filled him with more dread.

There was light glowing from the other side of the cave, and it was suddenly too much of a temptation to resist. He rushed through, only glancing back for a moment while trying his best to ignore the clatter and crunch of the stripped and broken bones scattered all over the cave’s floor. He reached the end much sooner than he expected, but even more unexpected was the clearing that greeted him and standing tall right in the middle of it—a tower made of the whitest stone. Round and soaring, crusted in ice and glittering in the weak winter sun.

Mormont had never said a word about such a place, nor any of his brothers, either. Not even Uncle Benjen. Surely if someone lived there they would know.  _ Or had he stumbled upon a secret beyond the Wall?  _ Secret or not, it was too fortunate a find to pass up. It looked all but deserted, the windows either dark or shuttered, The perfect place to hide and shelter for the night. 

He glanced over his shoulder for a brief moment then rushed to it, looking for the entrance as he ran. But the base of the tower seemed to be covered in snow and ice. Great drifts of it climbed the curved walls making it appear as if it had burst up from the frozen land it stood upon. Jon circled it once and then again to no avail. If there was a door it was behind the thick blanket of snow.

No wonder it was abandoned. 

He stood there a moment, staring up, unwilling to surrender just yet. From the top, he might be able to see where the ranging party was, possibly find his brothers. There had to be a way in. The stones it was made of were roughly hewn, climbable. There were vines as well. Now if only there was an open... window. There! 

He started slowly, finding a toe hole in the icy base proving to be difficult. He had to rely on the strength of his arms at first, pulling him high enough that he could use his feet. Once he made it to the bare stones it was surprisingly easy going but when he finally gripped the window ledge, he sighed in relief and hung for a moment, gathering the strength to pull himself inside. 

It didn't take long, the fear of slipping pushing him onward. He dropped onto the floor with a thump and a grunt, arms and legs trembling from the effort and just laid there until he wasn't heaving any longer. After he’d calmed he pushed himself upright and turned back to the window to see if he could gather where the Wildlings were, or his brothers, but only saw a murder of crows fly from some nearby trees and the white wasteland beyond them. He closed the window to help keep out the cold, leaned against the wall and took in his surroundings. 

It was warm in the room, almost too warm. A table sat in the middle, but didn't obscure the low fire burning in the hearth. There was also a wood burning stove with a stack of wood beside it. Several doors circled the room and a staircase wound up to another floor, a closed door at the top. Everything was clean, too clean. 

_ Someone lives here _ .

  
He saw it, then, a flash of white from one of the doors. He scrambled to his feet, heart pounding, his hand gripping the hilt of Longclaw as he approached slowly. “Hello?” he called. “I’m not here to hurt you. I just needed somewhere to hide. I got separated from my ranging party and was being chased by Wildings,” he said ready to draw his sword at the first provocation. 

“You have to leave,” a soft voice hissed and Jon furrowed his brow.  _ A girl? Alone in this tower in the middle of nowhere? _ “You can’t be here!”

She sounded young, no older than him for certain.  _ Gods, what was she doing here?  _ All he could think of was Arya somewhere far to the South, alone and afraid. The last thing he wanted was to frighten this girl. He stopped his approach. “I’ll leave, soon, I promise. And I won’t hurt you, I swear it,” he tried to assure her, keeping his voice calm and soft. 

She kept herself hidden from him but spoke anyway. “You’ll be killed if he finds you here.”

“Who? Your father? Your husband?”

“My brother,” she answered. “You must leave.”

“Dany!” 

The shout from far below them froze his heart. He heard the girl’s gasp and suddenly she was out of the room, long white hair trailing behind her on the floor like a stream of liquid moonlight. “That’s him! You have to hide,” she urged, turning wide violet eyes on him.

Jon could only stare, dumbfounded, mouth gaping, all thoughts of Wildings and angry brothers vanishing from his head. He’d never in his life seen a more beautiful sight than the girl in front of him. 

“Did you not hear me? Hide!” she hissed again and smacked at his chest.

He sucked in a gasp of air and shook himself. “Hide? Where?”

She looked around frantically before pushing him into the room she’d been in. “Beneath the bed.”

“Dany!?”

The second call had his feet moving faster and he was quick to do as the girl had asked.  _ Dany. Her name was Dany. Pretty _ , he thought as he dropped to the floor and crawled under her bed. She draped a blanket over the side so he couldn’t be seen from the other room before he heard her run out. 

The window was thrown open and soon the voice of a man filled the other room, angry and belligerent. “What took you so long?”

“I was in my room. I apologize I didn’t hear you.”

A harsh sigh was given. “Don’t keep me waiting like that, again.” 

Jon peeked around the edge of the blanket and took in this impatient  _ brother _ of hers. Already he wasn't impressed with him. Dany was scurrying around in their little kitchen while her brother watched her every move with narrowed eyes. His hair was pale too, but nowhere near as ethereal as hers. 

“I’m glad you had the windows closed. There’s a Wildling hunting party nearby.”

“Wildlings? What are they doing here?” she asked and even though Jon knew next to nothing of her he could tell she was bluffing her surprise.   
  


Thankfully her brother didn't seem to notice. He rolled his eyes and plopped himself into a chair, the wood creaking at the sudden strain. “I don’t know. They’ve probably depleted the animals in their area so they’ve come to take ours,” he grumbled and heaved a sigh. “I’ll be staying here, tonight.”

“Oh, well, alright,” Dany stumbled out and Jon’s heart picked up its pace behind his ribs. He couldn't hide under the bed forever. Though as he watched Dany, so slight and obviously scared, he thought he might if it kept her safe. He hoped someone such as him had found his little sister and was watching out for her too. “Are you hungry, brother?”

He waved her off. “Yes, yes. What are we having?”

“Rabbit.” Several pots clanged together or onto the stove.

“I’m so tired of rabbits. Don’t you have any deer left?” her brother whined.

“No.”

“Why not?”

“You asked for it yesterday and I gave you all we had left,” she answered quietly. “I told you then we needed more.”

“And I told you deer isn’t so easy to hunt,” he snarled back. “Takes more energy than I want to exude.” 

_ Lazy arse.  _

He rubbed a hand over his face and Jon took the opportunity to get a better look at him. He was taller than the girl, for sure. Thin, skinny even. His white hair was partially pulled back from his sharp face, and he was wearing furs the same style as the Wildlings did, which made no sense to Jon. He seemed to be afraid of them, annoyed at the very least. No doubt if Jon were to climb out from under the bed and unsheathe Longclaw he’d be afraid of him too. He could tell he wasn't the sort for fighting by just his movements. Too stilted and sluggish, no smoothness to them.

It grew quiet in the tower as the girl went about cooking while all her brother seemed able to do was leer at her from his chair. Jon had more than an uneasy feeling about it all and it only got worse when the girl came back into view, a bowl held out to her brother. Jon wanted to draw his sword and cut the man’s eyes out for looking at his sister in such a way. Like a lech eyeing a whore.

He took it from her and she walked back out of view. Jon heard a soft melodious humming and her brother looked suddenly irate. “STOP THAT!” he screamed as he jumped up, knocking his chair and the soup to the floor. “You know what happens when you hum! Soon there’ll be more hair in here than room for us!”

“Sorry, Vis. I’m sorry,” she said in a hushed tone. “I won't do it again.”

Jon had no idea what he was going on about. It sounded like the ramblings of a mad man to him no matter how much hair she had, and with the way he gazed at his own sister that was probably exactly what this  _ Vis _ was.  _ Mad. _

He appeared with another bowl as he resumed his seat and Dany too was finally back in view, cleaning up the mess her brother had made all while he continued to watch her, that wicked gleam back in his gaze. She suddenly locked eyes with Jon in his place beneath the bed and he could clearly see the dread and despair written all over her beautiful face, whether it was from fear her brother might discover him or just her brother in general, he wasn't sure. No doubt, both.

When she finally got the floor cleaned, she left his view again and her brother tracked her every move, slowly eating his soup. “Why aren’t you eating?”

“We only had enough of the stew for two bowls,” she said softly and again, Jon had to rein in his temper. Her brother never slowed his eating, never offered her half, nor even a bite.  _ Selfish bastard.  _ The room grew silent once more, the crackling of the fire and the spoon scraping across the bottom of the bowl the only sounds. 

Jon watched as Vis dropped it with a clang into the empty bowl and pushed it towards her. “Clean that up.” The bowl quickly disappeared and Jon heard water actually running through the tower. “I’ll check the traps again tomorrow to see if there are any rabbits,” Vis said, “and those will have to last you a while. I managed to make contact with someone from the other side of the Wall. I think I might have worked out an arrangement that will get us out of this tower permanently. I’ll need to go back and meet with them again.”

“Oh? Where did you meet? Who are they? Are they nice?” she asked in rapid fire and her brother’s look hardened. 

“It doesn’t matter if they’re nice,” he sneered. “It’s the new Warden of the North.” 

Jon’s blood began to boil.  _ Ramsay.  _

Vis got a sickening smile on his face that only made Jon’s anger rise higher. “He’s interested in you sweet sister,” he practically purred. “He needs a wife. And you’ve never been married, nor bedded, and you're a former princess. You hold a lot of appeal... for many.”

Silence filled the tower. Jon’s stomach was twisted tight. He had no doubt Dany's was as well.  _ How could a brother treat a sister so? What evil lived in his heart to even consider such? _

“You’re to marry me off to the Warden of the North?” she finally whispered with a strength Jon couldn't help but admire. Aye, she was little, but he recognized the fire behind her words. 

“Yes. And in return he and his army will help us against the crown.”

Jon rolled his eyes and nearly gave a snort. The man was a fool if he thought Ramsay Snow would hold true to his word. He was a traitor, a vicious and vile one, just like his father.  _ Fucking bastards. _

“What will you do?”

“I’ll be king, of course.”

“Viserys… what do you know of this man?”

“Are you questioning me?” he spat, a loud smack sounding against the table top. “I promised I’d get us back home, and I’m following through on that promise. Isn’t it enough I’ve left you untouched so you would be better for someone else?! I’ve protected you all these years!”

“You’ve kept me a hostage for the last three,” the girl dared to say and Jon could almost see her face, eyes flashing, teeth clenched.

Her brother was out of his chair then and the echo of a slap reverberated off the stone. “Bite your tongue or I’ll find a reason to remove it!” he hissed. “You’re mine to sell. I don’t care if he’s the most blood thirsty bastard ever born, if it gets me an army and on the throne, I’d let the entirety of the North fuck you, do you understand?”

Jon thought he might be sick; his rage was so bright and boiling. Heart thumping, nostrils flared, and every muscle he had tensed and ready to bolt him from beneath the bed so he could skewer the skinny bastard for daring to strike her. To threaten such. He had no more doubts. He was mad, as mad as they come.

“I’m going to bed. Do be quiet and allow me to sleep.” 

A sudden fear took Jon, breath held and waiting for him to come into the room he was currently in, but footsteps sounded on the stairs and then a door closed. Dany was suddenly in the room with him and pulling him from beneath the bed. He scrambled out and they sat there, both wide-eyed, chests heaving as they stared at one another. Her cheek was red and already swelling and it made him irrationally angry.

“You must leave,” she whispered.

He found his fingers reaching for her battered cheek. “Are you alright?” 

She waved him off. “I’m fine. But you have to leave or you won’t be,” she hissed. She led him out to the main living area again and opened the window quietly. 

“Are you trapped here?” he whispered and she gave him an exasperated roll of her eyes. 

“Yes, but you aren’t and you need to leave,” she insisted even as tears formed in her eyes.

Seeing her so broken, yet still wishing to protect him, a complete stranger, was the final blow. “Fine, I’ll leave, but,” he looked up at the closed door and back into her watery violet eyes and held his hand out, “Come with me.”

She took a step back from him, gasping as if his words had struck her. “I can’t.”

“You can. I’ll take you to the Wall. There’s abandoned keeps. I could take you to one. You could live there in safety. No one selling you off, or hitting you, keeping you prisoner.”

A fat tear slipped down her bruised cheek as she shook her head. “I can’t leave him. He’s family.”

_ “Family? _ He’s talking about selling you off to Ramsay Snow,” he bit out between his clenched teeth. “He's a monster. A true one.”

Panic filled her eyes. “You know him?”

He nodded. “He killed my brother. His own father. He hurts people and enjoys it,” he whispered harshly. Just the thought of her being in that monster’s clutches made him sick and he considered stealing her away for her own good, permission or not, but he’d rather have it. “Come with me,” he tried again.

She looked up at the door and he watched her face, the war she was fighting within herself clear. Despite her obvious pain, she was beyond lovely, truly. Perfect he’d dare say. “He’ll look for me,” she breathed out, fingers twined and twisting at her waist. 

“And never find you,” he swore. “I promise. I’ll keep you safe. But you have to come with me, now. We can move easier and avoid the Wildlings if we stay amongst the trees and travel at night.”

She shook her head, her brow furrowed and fretful over her large, liquid eyes. “I haven’t left the tower in years.”

“All the more reason to do so, now,” he whispered and braved a gentle grasp of her elbow.

“What’s your name?” she asked softly.

“Jon. You’re Dany?”

She nodded. “You must go, Jon. Please,” she begged.

_ No. It was probably a fool's hope, saving her, but he was past taking no for an answer.  _ “Come with me. Let me… let me help you get away. Somewhere safe.”

She bit her bottom lip, clearly contemplating it and he silently begged her to please take his offer. Finally, he saw it, a flash of excitement and hope flaring to life within her velvet eyes. “Let me change,” she whispered. 

He nodded, swallowing down his sudden relief, and she tugged him with her back into her room. He panicked a moment thinking she was about to strip her dress off, but she pulled on a set of furs over it instead and even a pair of boots. Once dressed she dropped to the floor and pried up a loose board before reaching down beneath the rest and pulling out a small box. She opened it and soon held a ring in between her fingers. After staring at it a moment she looked up at him with tears shining in her eyes. “What will happen to me if I go?”

Jon hated to see her so unsure and afraid, and while he didn't blame her for her fears, he knew what her brother planned for her was far worse than anything else. “What will happen to you if you stay?” he asked, hoping it would be enough to persuade her. 

She swiped at her eyes with a nod and stood to her feet before quickly packing a bag—a blanket, clothes, the ring she’d taken from its hiding place, a few more items she was too fast for him to catch. Once she was done, she stuck her head out of the door and seeing the coast clear they tiptoed back to the window. 

“How do we get down?” he asked as he looked around for a rope. No way they could jump and survive. 

She gave him a small smile that had his head spinning and barely catching on to her looping her long hair over a hook hanging just under the eave of the tower and letting the rest fall to the ground far below. He stared at her, struck speechless for a time.  _ Her hair, that smile…  _

“Well… What are you waiting for? Let's go before I change my mind,” she urged and poked at his shoulder.

Jon shook himself and heaved a sigh as he glanced down at her hair. “I’m not doing that. Isn't there a door?”

She rolled her eyes. “How do you think he gets into the tower?”

“It doesn’t hurt you?”   
  


She shook her head and her eyes shot up to the room her brother was in. “No. Please go before he hears us.”

“You’re sure?”

“Jon,” she hissed. “Go.”

Seeing no other way for it he gently grabbed hold and tugged on the thick silver strands. When he realized it truly wasn't hurting her, her smile back was encouraging, he slid down to the ground on her silky stream of hair. He let go and worry immediately took him as he waited and watched, eyes locked on her at the top of the tower. He fully expected her to pull her hair back in and shut him out, but his heart leapt as she sat on the ledge of the window, swung her legs out and grabbed onto her hair. 

She was standing in front of him a blink later, looking back up at the open window, uncertainty in her eyes. He carefully took her hand in his. “Everything will be alright, but we’re gonna run. You alright with that?”

Dany's eyes met his. “As far and fast as we can,” she answered and gathered her hair up and off the snow.

He gave her a small smile and took off, pleased at the ease with which she kept up with him. He led her to the cave he had come through, hidden in the woods. He withdrew his sword and he could see the frightened look upon her face before they stepped inside. “When I came through… There's animal bones in here. Something's been eating in here.”

  
“Like a nest?” she asked as she followed him in, both picking their way through the darkness, hands clasped together so they didn't lose one another. When they emerged from the other end, they slipped through the brush. Despite the dark, the Wall was clearly visible through the trees and Jon once again had them running. 

This would work. He’d get her to safety and use the Wall to get back to Castle Black. He’d make sure she was settled in somewhere and it would all be fine. 

**  
  
**

—

**  
  
**

Dany was chastising herself for doing this. She had given up everything to stay with Viserys—her freedom, her dragons—and now she was leaving him. With a stranger. 

_ A pretty stranger. _

Pretty or not she knew next to nothing about him. Other than his name.

_ Jon.  _

And maybe she knew more than  _ nothing _ about him. He obviously didn’t like the way her brother treated her. Surely a cruel man wouldn't attempt to save a girl from another cruel man. He had to have some goodness in him to do such. He’d seen she needed help and helped her. Or had he? What happened after this? Where was he taking her? Was he going to abandon her?

All questions she wasn't sure she should ask. He didn't need to see her fear. She trudged along beside him through the thick snow, watching him as he led the way, his sword sheathed and the large black cloak he wore billowing around him. Did he wear all black to blend with his lovely raven curls? She’d never seen such hair, so dark and shiny, so different from her own. She liked the way it matched his eyes and set off his pretty pale skin. 

Soon she had thought of other questions she could ask. “Where are you from, Jon?”

He looked back at her and sighed. “Winterfell. My father is the former Warden of the North.”

She stopped, her heart in her throat. “Ned Stark?”

Jon turned and faced her, a dark scowl on his pretty face. “Aye. How do you know of him?”

Her heart raced in her chest. Would she be safe once he realized who she was? “You haven’t worked it out? Who I am?” she asked softly.

“Should I?” He tilted his head looking much like her dragons had when they were little. She wanted to smile, but was too afraid. “I don’t believe I’ve ever seen you before. I think I’d remember that.”

“My father was King Aerys,” she admitted quietly. “Rhaegar was my brother. Your father fought against them.”

His shoulders had slumped under his thick cloak, a deep furrow forming between his lovey eyes. “Your brother kidnapped my aunt.”

She scowled at him, offended. “I don’t understand. Rhaegar wouldn’t have done that.”

“He did,” he insisted, though he didn't appear angry as one might think. More reluctant, really. Perhaps distressed he had to be the one to tell her. “It’s what started the whole war,” he went on.

She couldn’t breathe and her head wouldn't stop shaking. “No. Why...why would he do that? He was good.”

“Who told you he was good?” he asked softly.

“Ser Darry. My brother, Viserys.”

Jon looked at the ground for a moment and then back at her. He stepped closer and fear took her, that he might actually wish her harm. That she’d read him wrong. She scurried back and he immediately held his hands up, his expression softening further. He suddenly looked sad, guilty even. “Dany… I’m sorry, but… In Westeros, it’s well known that Rhaegar Targaryen kidnapped Lyanna Stark and carried her to Dorne where she died. Rhaegar died on the Trident fighting Robert Baratheon, her betrothed.” He let out a heavy sigh. “I’m afraid you’ve been misled.”

“You said it started the war,” she managed to ask, wincing at the waver in her voice. He seemed so certain, so apologetic it was hard not to believe him, yet it hurt more than she had words for. 

“It did,” he said and beckoned her to follow him. “We need to keep moving,” he reminded gently. 

Her nod was stilted but she forced her feet forward and they continued on in silence for a time. She was grateful. She needed the quiet to turn his revelations over in her mind, and especially her heart. But soon she needed to know more, too many questions springing forth.

“What else does everyone in Westeros believe?”

Jon’s brow furrowed once more and he chewed at his lip before heaving another sigh. “Your father, King Aerys, the Mad King, as everyone calls him, lived up to the nickname. He burned my grandfather alive. Murdered my uncle.”

“And everyone knows this?”

“Aye. My father was best friends with Robert, and Lyanna was his sister. Our family has been... decimated by yours.”

She stopped and he went in a few steps further before turning around and giving her a quizzical look. “You should take me back,” she told him.

“What? Why?”

“If you believe all of this you’ve told me, and know who I am, why should you want to help me? And why would I trust you to do so?”

He raised an eyebrow at her and gave a shrug. “At this point, what choice do you have?”

She narrowed her eyes, sneering at him. “You’re not exactly endearing me to you.”

He gave a chuff as he shook his head. “Like me or not. I’m not going to hurt you. I gave up all that when I took the black.”

“ _ Took the black _ ? What does that mean?”

“The Wall is manned by men of the Night’s Watch. I’m one of them. We swear to defend the realm to any threats north of it and have no allegiances south of it.” He turned his gaze back towards the Wall. “Besides, most of my family is... gone.”

Guilt washed through her. Some for things she had no part in, but others... She glanced behind them, thinking of the brother she’d abandoned. She was trusting this stranger whose family had a horrible history with hers. Was she truly safer with him? She thought of Viserys and his stares, his sudden furies, his angry hands. How much she feared and loathed him. He was going to sell her off to some wicked man because it would get him what  _ he _ wanted. She turned back to her escort and frowned. “I’m sorry about your family.” Perhaps his had actually been kind to him.

His big dark eyes met hers and he gave her a brief smile. “Sorry about yours, too.” 

A fragile peace found between them she walked to his side and he took up his trudging again. “If you walk behind me, it’ll be easier for you. Not so much snow to wade through.”

She could discern no trickery in his suggestion and tried it for herself. It was indeed easier for her, and she felt a bloom of kindness towards him. 

“Will you be taking me to where you guard the Wall?”

“Uh... no. I don’t think you’d be safe there.”

“Why not?”

“It’s complicated.” He kept walking for a time, before finally glancing over his shoulder at her. “How long have you been living in that tower?”

“As long as I can remember. My mother died giving birth to me. Ser Darry left Dragonstone with Viserys and I.”

“Why did he come North?”

“Viserys said he mentioned possibly going to Essos, but he didn’t trust anyone with us. I don’t really know how we ended up here or how he found the tower.”

“So, you’ve never been out of the tower?”

“Oh, no. I used to go out every day.”

Jon looked back at her with a frown. “What changed?”

“Dragons.”

His scoffing laugh was loud. “How did dragons keep you from leaving the tower?”

“Well, I had three. But they didn’t like Viserys and would threaten him if he... threatened me.” She heaved a sigh. “I let them go because he said he’d leave and never come back. But they had stayed around the tower.” She thought about her sweet baby dragons and how they had tried to take care of her and once again wondered if they were alright. “One day I was outside and they were just there and Viserys came upon me and got angry because he thought I had defied him... and they threatened him again.” She shook her head. “He froze me inside after that.”

“And you use your hair to let him in the tower?” He stuck a hand in his own hair, his brow all twisted up. “How does it not hurt?”

“It’s a long story,” she said softly. She took a deep breath as the moon peeked out from behind the clouds and looked over at him. “Why were you being chased by Wildlings?”

“Wildlings and the Night’s Watch are enemies.”

“Why?”

“They want to go south of the Wall and it’s our job to stop them.”

She furrowed her brow. “Why do they want to go South?”

“To get warm, I suppose,” Jon said with a shrug.

“That doesn’t make sense,” she scoffed. “Fire will keep you warm. Perhaps there’s another reason. Have you asked them?”

He stopped walking and looked at her seriously. “They’d kill me before they let me get a question out.”

“Are you certain?”

His dark eyes seemed to focus far off, his brow drawn down in a scowl. “Because it’s what I would do to them,” he finally landed on. She rolled her eyes and turned away. “That answer annoys you?” he asked.

“Yes, it does.”

“Why?”

“Well, quite simply, how do you expect the fighting to stop if you never try to make peace?”

“You’ve never met a Wildling, have you?”

She tilted her head. “Apparently, neither have you,” she said and kept on walking. “If you’re simply killing them at first sight.”

“They’d do the same to me!” he countered as he trotted back up to her side. “You don’t understand.”

“You’re correct. I don’t understand.”

They both went quiet for a time and he finally spoke again, his question raking her nerves. “Do you really expect me to believe you had three dragons?”

She turned to face him. “I did. One was black and red, one was green and gold, and the other was cream. I even named them.”

He smiled at her. A lopsided thing that had her wanting to slap him, or possibly kiss him. Either way it set her blood to boil. “Oh, and what names did you give to these dragons?” he asked with a soft chuff.

She definitely wanted to slap him. “The cream was Visenya. The green was Rhaegal. And the black one was Balerion. And they were beautiful and mine and loved me and how dare you scoff at me!” she finished with a stomp of her foot.

Jon’s eyes had gone wide, his humor wavering until his ridiculously perfect nose snarled. “Excuse me, Your Grace, but no one has seen a dragon in a hundred years. You can’t expect me to simply take you at your word.”

“Why not?” she shot back. “I trusted you enough to leave with you.”

He didn’t seem to have an answer for that. “Fair point.”

“And besides, just because something hasn’t happened in a hundred years doesn’t mean it can’t happen again.” She spun around and walked off, not caring she had no clue where she was going. “It’s not my fault you lack imagination,” she quipped over her shoulder.

“Imagination?” Jon laughed, surprising her. It made her angry how much she enjoyed the sound of it. Throaty and rough.  _ Gods, what was wrong with her?  _ “Not much use for that on the Wall. We’re too busy dealing with people who want to kill us.”

“Perhaps if you used it more often, you wouldn’t be so glum. And perhaps if you talk to someone before you decide to kill them, you might find out they don't want to kill you.”

He huffed out an aggravated breath. “Let’s stop talking.”

“Oh, don’t like the truth?”

“No, I don’t appreciate someone making judgement about me based on things they know nothing about,” he challenged.

She rolled her eyes again. “I may have been locked in a tower, Jon Snow, but it seems to me you’re the one who’s a prisoner of your own understanding of the world.”

“And you aren’t?” he bit back.

“I’m at least willing to listen. To leave with someone in the middle of the night with nothing but  _ hope _ that they won’t lead me to my death.”

Jon pulled at the sleeve of her furs until she turned around and met his dark gaze. “You can go back.”

He probably meant it as a threat, or at the very least meant it to make her feel guilty. But he wasn't going to push her around. She’d had enough of that. She shook her head. “No. I can’t.  _ I won’t. _ So, you can either hold true on your promise to take me to the Wall or I’ll go without you. But I won’t go back.”

She’d expected him to roll his eyes, perhaps snarl at her, but he did neither of those things. He looked…  _ proud _ of her? As she stood there trying to puzzle that response out he walked on without her, waving a hand for her to follow. “Then let’s go, and no more arguing, alright?” he added with a smirk.

A stupid smile came to her face unbidden. “Alright.”

**  
  
**

—

**  
  
**

Viserys woke up the following morning, finding it to be rather quiet in the tower despite the light coming through the window. She should be up already making his breakfast. He had a busy day. He’d have to go out and sort through the traps and find food for her before he was to meet Ramsay’s men at the Wall. He’d need to make sure Dany knew to look the best she could for them when the time came. Presentable. 

He climbed from his bed, pulled on his furs, ready to leave after he ate. He walked down the stairs and found the window open and rolled his eyes at how stupid she could be. The fire had even gone out in the hearth. 

“Dany, you left the window open again,” he scolded as he went to it and closed the shutters. 

She didn't respond and he wondered if she was ill.  _ Stupid girl… If she'd caught a chill _ . That was the last thing he needed. He walked over to her bedroom and pushed open the door and stopped to find it empty. 

“Dany?” he called and went into the attached en-suite only she wasn’t there. He rushed back out to the main living area and looked down the stairwell to see that the panels were still covering the door to the outside. 

_ The window! _

He rushed to it and threw it open again. “DANY!” he screamed and looked around frantically for her, only he didn’t see anything. Nothing but snow and ice. She was gone! 

_ No! _

“Dany!” he called again.

He ran back into her room and realized her boots and furs were gone as well. She’d left. She’d willingly left. 

He grit his teeth and tore at his hair. The dragon waking inside him, raging and burning bright.

She knew better! She knew not to wake the dragon!

He was down the stairs and to the door a moment later ripping at the panels that covered it. His fingers were soon bleeding, his nails torn to shreds, but he didn't care. Getting free was all that mattered. He got down to the frozen door and began kicking at it until he grew too tired. He’d never get the ice to give. It was too thick. He was wasting time. 

Back up the stairs he ran to their bedrooms. He ripped the sheets from their beds and shredded them into strips, tied them together until he had it long enough to reach from the hook to the ground. 

He was out of the tower and slipping down the sheets, not caring for the throbbing in his fingers and hands, nor the blood he was leaving behind.

His feet hit the ground and stared in shock and rage. Not one set of prints led away from their tower, but two. One most definitely a man’s. He put his hand on the hilt of his sword, and snarled at their trail. Someone had found his prize. He’d kill them, and take her back, if it was the last thing he did.

****  
  



End file.
